Sanneh nets first goal in Hertha Berlin’s 1-1 draw with FC Schalke.

(Monday, November 1, 1999) -- American midfielder
Tony Sanneh scored
his first goal of the German Bundesliga season as his Hertha Berlin squad
drew with FC Schalke 1-1 yesterday.

Hertha started a younger lineup as it rested several normal starters to be
ready for their midweek, do or die, Champions League meeting with Chelsea.

Sanneh and midfielder Sebastian Deisler got Hertha off to a fast start in
the third minute when they worked a give-and-go that put Sanneh in clear and he
converted for the goal.

In Spain, the United States’ top goalkeeper
Kasey Keller and his
Rayo Vallecano roared back to the top of the Primera Division table with a
2-1 road win at Valladolid. Keller came up big on several occasions to keep
Rayo in the match. He made several excellent early saves, but was powerless
to prevent Victor Fernandez from tying the score with a magnificent right-footed
flick into the left-hand corner in the 69th minute.

But Keller made a great save on Eusebio's curling direct free-kick three
minutes later, managing to deflect it over the bar with his fingertips.

The victory was sealed for Rayo in sensational fashion. With only seven
minutes remaining, Carlos Llorens raced into the Valladolid area and with a
first-time effort lashed the ball left-footed into the roof of the net,
sparking riotous scenes on the Rayo bench.

In France, American defender David
Regis played the full 90 minutes in defense as his Metz team went down
to defeat at the hands of Saint-Etienne 2-0.

Metz had worked its way up to six place in the French first division, but
was outclassed in this road match. Good goalkeeping and solid defense kept
Metz in the match until well into the second half when Brazilian ace Alex
broke through to put Saint-Etienne ahead. It got an insurance goal a few
minutes later to ice the match.

No other Americans played this weekend.

Finn Jonatan Johansson's three goals allowed Glasgow Rangers to hold onto
first place in the Scottish first division with a 5-1 demolition of Aberdeen.
American Claudio Reyna
continues sidelined with a hamstring pull. It is doubtful he will see action
midweek in Rangers critical Champions League meeting at Bayern Munich.

Defender John O'Brien
was not in the lineup on Friday night as Ajax went down to defeat at the hands
of visiting Roda JC 2-1. Roda scored the winner on an injury-time free kick by
defender Mark Luypers. It was Ajax's first league loss of the season, and
Roda's first win in Amsterdam in 21 years.

Liverpool goalkeeper Sander Westerveld has finished serving his suspension
for fighting, so it's back into the stands for American
Brad Friedel. After playing
four straight matches, Friedel was again relegated to a spectator's role as
Liverpool defeated West Ham in a midweek match.

In Germany on Saturday, U.S. midfielder
Frankie Hedjuk did not play
in Bayer Leverkusen's 1-1 draw with 1860 München.